A New Orleans man who was arrested in January for chumming up to little boys at a bicycle track in Gretna, touching and taking pictures of them and prompting concerns from their parents, will spend two years on probation and undergo mandatory counseling. Don Fernandez, 65, known among children as "Uncle Don," pleaded guilty as charged Monday to stalking eight boys whose ages ranged from seven to 11.

The crimes happened during a four-month period ending Dec. 31, at the Gretna BMX Raceway, at 800 Gretna Blvd., prosecutors said. The Gretna Police Department conducted its investigation after receiving complaints that Fernandez was photographing and videotaping boys and in at least one instance invited a child to his home.

With his guilty plea, Fernandez, of 5383 Paris Ave., was to be released from the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center, where he has been held since he was arrested more than four months ago, his attorney Bill Slaughter III said Monday.

"I think the sentence was fair to all parties," Slaughter said. "I think that probation and counseling is good for him, good for the community."

Stalking is described in law as repeatedly following or harassing someone "in a manner that would cause a reasonable person to feel alarmed or to suffer emotional distress." It carries a sentence of up to three years in prison.

In this case, Fernandez made the boys' parents uncomfortable, but Fernandez did not quite understand how his behavior concerned the parents, Slaughter said.

Fernandez also has a permanent stay-away order, meaning he cannot go near any of the four boys for the rest of his life, according to the plea Fernandez reached with Assistant District Attorney Emilia Salas.

Judge Ray Steib of the 24th Judicial District Court presided over the case.

Gretna police said when they arrested Fernandez that he had been arrested in Harrison County, Miss., in 1997, but escaped prison time when a jury hearing evidence of illegal touching of children could not reach a verdict.